Caucasian stonecrop

Caucasian stonecrop: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, creeping, mat-forming perennial about 10 cm high and 50 cm wide.

Foliage

Fleshy, obovate to spoon-shaped, 2–3 cm, with a toothed edge; evergreen, green to bronze-red.

Flower

Flat heads of small star-shaped flowers above the foliage, in July–August.

Colour

Pink to deep red; in ‘Fuldaglut’ the foliage is red-brown and the flower red.

Roots

Fibrous and shallow; the stems root easily where they touch the ground.

Flowering: July–August · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March and September

Why grow it?

• A dense, evergreen ground cover that stays attractive even in winter.
• Pink flower heads in July–August that bees love.
• Drought-tolerant and hardy down to about −30 °C.
• Cultivars with red or variegated foliage add colour all year.
• Ideal for rock gardens, walls, gravel gardens, green roofs and containers.

Caucasian stonecrop: where does it grow best?

• Full sun or light partial shade; in the sun the leaf colour is best.
• Free-draining, lean soil: sand or loam, acid to chalky. Never waterlogged.
• Dry: it tolerates drought extremely well, but not wet feet.
• Allow 30–40 cm between plants; it grows quickly and closes the carpet in one to two years.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.1 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Lavender: The same dry, sunny soil; purple flowers above the pink carpet.
• Thyme: A fragrant ground cover that tolerates the same lean soil.
• Blue fescue: Blue-grey tufts that stand out against the red foliage.
• Houseleek: Rosettes in the same dry, sunny spot, ideal for a rock garden.

Caucasian stonecrop: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant in March–May or September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor too wet.
2. Mix heavy soil with a third grit or sand; a light, lean soil is ideal.
3. Plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil lightly.
4. Keep 30–40 cm between plants.
5. Water once after planting, then only during long dry spells.
6. Spread a thin layer of gravel around the plant to keep weeds down.

Care

Water

Almost never once established. Only in long dry spells for pots and containers.

Feeding

Not needed: too rich a soil gives long, floppy growth and little colour.

Mulching

Use gravel or grit, not compost or bark.

Deadheading

Cut off faded heads after flowering for a tidy mat.

Dividing

Divide the plant every 3–4 years or when the centre goes bare.

Weeding

Weed between young plants in spring until the carpet has closed.

Tip: Put cultivars with red foliage such as ‘Fuldaglut’ in full sun: in shade they lose their colour. Take cuttings and use them to fill bare patches.

Caucasian stonecrop: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and September.

When: In March, before the new shoots start to grow, and after flowering in September.

How:

• Cut off faded flower heads after flowering, in September.
• In March, cut back dried or tatty leaves and long, floppy shoots.
• Keep the carpet within bounds by cutting the edges with a spade.
• Remove bare or dead parts and replant healthy cuttings there.

Caution: It grows fast and can smother small, weak plants: give it room or contain it.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In spring and summer: cut 5–8 cm pieces of stem, let them dry for a day and lay or insert them in sandy soil. They usually root within a few weeks.

Division

In March–April or September: lift a clump, divide it into pieces with roots and replant at once.

Caucasian stonecrop: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy down to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The foliage stays green, but may turn brown or tatty in a hard winter. Cut it back in March.
• Wet soil in winter is more dangerous than frost: make sure drainage is good.
• In a pot or container: stand it in a dry spot and do not leave it standing in water.

Diseases and pests

• Root rot: Limp, brown foliage in wet soil. Improve drainage with grit or plant in a drier spot.
• Loss of colour: Cultivars with red foliage turn green in shade. Put them in full sun.
• Bare patches: In old plants the centre dies. Divide the plant and replant the healthy pieces.
• Vine weevil: The grubs eat the roots, especially in pots: the plant suddenly collapses. Check the roots and use nematodes in autumn.

Through the year

• March: Cut back dead foliage and long shoots. Plant or divide.
• April: Plant. Cut the edges. Weed.
• May: Plant. Cuttings are already possible.
• June: Buds form.
• July: Flowering begins. Bees on the flowers.
• August: Flowering. Take cuttings.
• September: Cut off faded heads. Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. If the soil is wet, improve drainage.
• December: Rest. The foliage stays green.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Spurius is Latin for ‘false’ or ‘illegitimate’.
• Stonecrops are widely used on green roofs, because they manage with little water and little soil.
• It was long called Sedum spurium; since it was given its own genus it is called Phedimus spurius.